1. Field Of The Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of training devices, an more particularly to devices on which trainees practice firing manually aimed weapons in simulation by "firing" a demilitarized or simulated weapon at a target imaged on a video projection screen.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Minor caliber weapons that lack a fire control system are installed on-board naval ships for close-in ship defense against high speed boats and aircraft that are used with hostile intent. The gunner must be practiced in the difficult art of manually aiming the weapon in lead angle and elevation that is closely related to being an experienced and accurate estimator of range, in order to be effective at eliminating the threat. Previously, the training that is necessary to achieve and maintain proficiency at range and lead estimation has been conducted in the classroom without the aid of a training device, and in the field at great expense with live rounds against dummy targets. Such training lacks an accurate threat simulation and fails to provide marksmanship training against an elusive target, variable daylight and sea state conditions, and training in target identification, as well as accepts a trade-off of safety for realism.
Art that is relevant to the field includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,374 that discloses a target trainer having a screen on which is depicted a scene, a target projector for projecting the image of a moving target on the screen, and a combination of an infra-red target beam projector and infra-red sensitive television camera, associated with a simulated weapon and the target to determine the accuracy of simulated shooting at the target. U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,161 discloses a device for simulating indirect field of fire gunnery for training artillery gunnery observers, that includes a screen for showing a photographic image of terrain overlaid with computer generated images of shell bursts at locations corresponding to commands given by a trainee. U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,682 discloses a television game using a photosensitive gun and a technique to avoid mistaking light from an outside source for the light from the target, wherein actuation of the gun's trigger causes black picture data to be displayed followed immediately by white picture data in the position of the target, which white picture data is detected and processed for use as a detection signal from the target. U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,339 discloses an attachment to a gun having a fire control system, that provides simulated scenic images to the gun's visual display and overwrites the scene with simulated target images, then computes the gunner's accuracy by computing the difference between his aim point and the location of the simulated target. U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,222 discloses a gunnery trainer having a library of video records of actual projectile trajectories and impacts for various orientations, wherein the video record is selected and displayed in a time relationship to trigger actuation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,724 discloses a simulator of small-bore guns that provides images of target, tracers and aim point in the gunsight.